Manuel Antonio National Park Day Trip
About this activity
Highlights
- Explore diverse wildlife in the park
- Relax on pristine white-sand beaches
- Swim in crystal-clear Pacific waters
- Enjoy guided nature walks with experts
- Capture stunning coastal and jungle views
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Round-trip transportation from San Jose
- Guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park
- Beach access and leisure time
- Meals and personal expenses
Itinerary
Discover Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the main touristic destinations of Costa Rica. You will be picked up from your San Jose Hotel in the morning in an air-conditioned vehicle, and then you will enjoy a scenic drive towards the Central Pacific Region of the country. On the way to Manuel Antonio, you will savor a delicious Costa Rican breakfast; and you will also have the chance to stop at the largest fruit stand of the country, where you can learn about the huge variety of tropical fruits of Costa Rica.
Following you will make a stop at the famous crocodile bridge, where you will be able to observe crocodiles in the wild from a safe viewing point, some of the animals observed here are as big as 6 meters long (18 feet).
A few minutes later you will make a brief stop at Tarcoles Beach, where you will have the chance to observe scarlet macaws in their natural habitat.
Continue your trip with a visit to the Jaco Beach look-out point, from where you can get great views of the most popular coastal town of Costa Rica.
Following, go on a one-hour nature hike at Manuel Antonio National Park and learn about the Rainforests Ecosystems of Costa Rica. Be on the look-out for wild species of fauna such as howler monkeys, white-faced monkeys, sloths, toucans, agoutis, tropical birds, and the cutest mammal of Costa Rica, the squirrel monkey. After your hike, you will have a few free hours to relax at the beautiful beaches of the national park, or go for a swim in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean. If you are not so much of a beach person, you can continue hiking on your own in the numerous trails of Manuel Antonio National Park, where beautiful landscapes and wildlife can be observed.
Later in the early afternoon hours, savor a delicious Costa Rican lunch in a restaurant located at high elevation, where great views of the ocean and the jungles of the national park can be observed. After this final stop you will be taken back to your hotel in the San Jose area.
Meeting point
Start Location
Unknown location
Important information
Know before you book
- This tour involves moderate walking; ensure you're comfortable with physical activity.
- Availability may vary; check the latest schedule before booking.
- Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult; contact the provider for specific age requirements.
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable walking shoes suitable for uneven terrain.
- Bring swimwear, a towel, and sunscreen for beach activities.
- Carry a waterproof bag to protect electronics from water and humidity.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Good to know
- Minimum age to participate is 5 years
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- The total tour duration includes the travel time, breakfast and lunch
- Drop off at Manuel Antonio-Quepos centrally located hotels are available
- The National Park authorities do not allow plastic water bottles; please bring reusable bottles
Traveler reviews
A challenge for seniors
More walking in preserve and less time for the beach than expected. Meals were good but portions a bit too large for seniors. As senior citizens ourselves it was a challenge but worth the effort. Guide and driver served well.
Beautiful tour
Lovely excursion and a formidable deal from Alex; the park is worth everything, and the beach is beautiful. The transfer is long and tired from traffic but gives time to sleep. Breakfast was spectacular
Adorable sloths
Kenny or Kenneth was our driver and guide for the day. Very friendly and informative. I will say the animals are wild so they’re not everywhere all at once. Your guide will help you find all the adorable sloths monkeys and more. We saw a couple sloths, a coatimundis, a couple species of monkey, a tiny frog, lizards and a crab. The beach was meh… we have cleaner Beaches in Hawaii but I’m sure Costa Rica has way more to offer than that beach. The water was warm. The bathrooms are a little small but I recommend using the one closest to the souvenir shop since they have showers too. Breakfast and lunch was great! I had the fish and it comes with a beautiful view of the ocean ! The park is a tiny bit over rated but I did enjoy myself for sure. We also saw some macaws! So beautiful… sadly the crocodile bridge was getting worked on and there were no crocs in site when we drove over… we had some mean traffic coming back so prepare for that . Started the day at about 5:20am and ended at about 8:20pm. I will say this drive was comfortable because it was just 4 of us. We had more room than we needed. Thank you so much to Kenny can for picking us up and dropping us off even though it wasn’t in the area they normally do that in. Lots of driving but worth it if you don’t want to drive on your own.
Beaches, flora and fauna of Costa Rica stunning
Undoubtedly the most beautiful places in Costa Rica, we visited impressive places, saw many animals, the journey was very pleasant, pleasant and explained everything we were seeing, Alex our guide made this day a very pleasant experience. Local food was delicious and the places we consumed it, always very clean and nice
Fraud! Fraud!
We were not given a clear time for pick up and missed the time. The tour operator did not let us join at the next meeting point or the park itself (at our cost). They did not even give us the park entrance tickets that were included in our package. Completely uncooperative and looking for opportunities to steal your money.